Atomizer



W. A. WELLS May 30, 1944.

ATOMIZER Filed June 8, 1942 zjwue/wfm W4 LTER AWELLS Patented May 30, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ATOMIZER Walter A. Wells, Washington, D. 0.

Application June 8, 1942, Serial No. 446,235

3 Claims.

This invention relates to atomizers, especially adapted for, although not limited to, medical use.

In my United States Patent Number 2,236,124, there is shown an atomizer involving the same principle as the invention about to be described, but the present invention differs from the former in important structural details that render the device more easily manufactured, the structure involving separable parts readily assembled.

The atomizer, like the one of the patent, is made of glass or other transparent material, so that the internal contents may be ascertained at a glance and there being no metal parts subjected to the influence of the solution, there can be no objectionable corrosion, thus eliminating the possibility of chemical change in the solution and generally adding to the sanitary advantage.

An important feature of the patent hereinbefore referred to is the provision of a reservoir in the atomizing part of the device adapted to receive and retain a definite portion of the atomizing fluid when the atomizer is tilted or inverted, so that only such portion is atomized upon each complete operation of the device, thus facilitating, upon appropriate occasions, the possibility of a dosage atomization, or the atomization of a dose of the fluid, the efficacy of which has not been diminished by the frequent passage of air through it, as is the case with atomizers in common use.

In the drawing illustrating the invention- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partially in section, of the atomizer;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of what I term the injector;

Figure 3 is a cross section taken about on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the bottle or container for the main supply of the atomizing fluid. This is formed in the present embodiment of the invention, with a laterally extending neck 2, exteriorally threaded as indicated by 3 for cooperation with corresponding internal threads in the rear enlarged portion 4 of the nozzle 5 whose forward end is provided with the usual atomizing orifice 6.

The nozzle is formed with an interior annular rib 1 against which abuts the annular flange 8 of the injector 9, that extends forwardly within the nozzle and is spaced therefrom to form an air chamber Hi, the injector being provided with an aperture H opposite, when the parts are assembled, to the aperture 6 in the end of the nozzle.

The annular flange 8 of the injector abuts against the outer end of the neck 2, the arrangement being such that when the nozzle is screwed on the neck with the injector in place, the injector is held firmly in position in the nozzle as shown. To be sure that the injector is properly spaced from the nozzle to form the necessary air space between the two, I may provide oppositely disposed beads I2. A portion of the area of the injector at its larger end is covered by a wall 13 thus providing an opening 14 which receives a portion of the atomizing fluid in the injector when the atomizer is tilted or inverted. This wall, together with the lower portion of the injector, forms a reservoir l5 designed to hold the amount of atomizing fluid intended say for a close, when the atomizer is used for dispensing a medical fluid, which is the only portion of the fluid that will be atomized upon one complete operation of the atomizer.

I have shown the nozzle provided with a downwardly extending nipple I6 for the reception of a hand bulb H, the bulb and bottle being so relatively shaped, and in such proximity to each other, that the atomizer may be operated with one hand, the bulb being squeezed by the fingers against the side of the bottle.

To operate the atomizer it is tilted or inverted until the reservoir in the injector is filled and upon restoring the atomizer to operative position the main body of fluid will return to the bottle, leaving trapped however, a definite amount of the fluid in the reservoir in the injector.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the production of the device on a commercial scale involves no difficult manufacturing problem and the construction and arrangement of the parts facilitates the ready assembling and disassembling of them for operation of the device, for cleaning the same, assuring at all times, a sanitary condition, so necessary if the atomizer is to be used for medical purposes.

I claim:

1. An atomizer comprising a solution container, a nozzle connected therewith, an injector confined within the nozzle and annually spaced therefrom to provide an air chamber, means carried by the injector to trap a quantity of solution from the container, and means for forcing air into said chamber for effecting atomization of the solution from the injector.

2'. An atomizer comprising a solution container having a nozzle connected therewith, an injector confined within the nozzle and annually spaced therefrom providing an air chamber, said injector having a wall in its inner end of less height than the diameter of the injector to provide an opening afiording communication between the solution container and injector, said injector and nozzle having, respectively, an aperture and an orifice, and means for forcing air into said chamber to efiect atomization of solution from the injector through the aperture and orifice.

3. An atomizer comprising a solution container having a laterally extending neck in communication therewith, a nozzle removably mounted on 

